In the US we have one kind of brown cheese, Ski Queen brunost which I've been eating for over 50 years and love. I want to take some home but curious to try some different kinds, especially since your largest package costs less than the little one we can get get.

Would someone be kind enough to tell me what the difference is in all of these? The store near my hotel in Bergen is much smaller than this one in Rørvik but will certainly have some of the options.

by wendellWI

34 comments

  3. Fløtemysost is the easiest, smoothest one, but still a staple on norwegian breakfast tables

  4. How is the Chili brunost? Sounds terrible to me, but I strangely want to try.

  5. Among the ones from tine you have: Gudbrandsdalsost (the red one ) is the standard one made with a mixture of goat and cows milk, you also have fløtemysost(orange) made with cows milk which is milder.

    For more seasoned people you have the blue geitost which is made with only goatmilk and has a much stronger and sharper taste.
    There are some additional special varieties in brown that I am not very familiar with.
    I am not so familiar with the Synnøve finden varieties but I think they are quite similar overall.

  6. Rule of thumb is the darker the color of the cheese, the stronger the taste is. If you want something special get a strong one or two, they’ll be quite different from the Ski Queen variety.

  7. I’m not a brunosit aficionado, but I think the TINE Gudbrandsdalsost is identical to the one they market as Ski Queen classic abroad.

    Fløtemysost basically has cream added back into the mixture so it’s more light and mild (and fatty, but many variant shave reduced fat now). Synnøve is just another manufacturer but they make more or less the same style of cheese. The ones in the darker packages basically regional variants, some are lighter or darker with some variation in sweetness, I could probably not tell the difference with most.

    The blue ones are made with only goat milk (or more than the others at least) same as the blue Ski Queen variant.

  8. I prefer the orange, milder one. There’s also a Christmas version, which has spices in it. I personally think this one is a bit too sweet.

  9. I’ve never heard of Ski Queen and now I see it’s made by Tine? Wow! Anyway, I offer the light «orange» package to foreigners, the red one is the most popular in my family/friends, but if I feel fancy, I’ll buy the blue one.

  10. I like the blue one, Geitost, from goat milk.

    And to the right of that is Søst. Also caramelized milk as brunost, but more “wet”. Very good on waffles. Probably a higher likelihood of leak during transport, though.

  12. Ski Queen is the same as Gudbrandsdalsost, the red one in the middle.

    The brown to the left is milder, made from cow milk. I rarely eat that as the red taste better imo.

  13. Ski Queen is produced by Tine, and they have two colors in the US – red and blue:
    – The red one is what is called Gudbrandsdalsost (red here, too) in Norwegian, it’s the original brown cheese with goat milk and cow milk and cream in addition to whey
    – The blue one is what we call Geitost (goat cheese) and it is made with only goat milk, goat cream and goat whey.

    The brown ones are either sweeter OR cooked longer than the red ones. So they are generally stronger OR sweeter in taste. Some have added sugar (bestemorost), some are goat based, some are cow based. A lot of people swear by the cooked ones. I prefer the milder taste of the orange one. The orange ones are only cow milk, cow whey and cow cream.

    So, red and blue – you already have them in the US (even if you say you only know of one of those, possibly the red one?). Orange and browns (and purple) are the ones you should try out, as they are different from what you’re used to. 🙂

  14. The Christmas one from Tine is really good and only available around Christmas. My favourite is the goat cheese, it’s a bit sharper than the ones made with cows milk.

  15. Make sure you get Tine Bestemorost, its richer and sweeter and really good.

  16. The red ones are the same as Ski Queen in the US. It is called G35 or Gudbrandsdalsost and is the most commonly eaten version. It is made of a mix of goat and cow milk.

    The blue, round one on the bottom right is pure goat’s cheese and has a stronger taste. Some might say it is the original brown cheese.

    The yellow/orange on the left is a milder version. The rest are regional variations of brown cheese, I must admit I have never tried those.

  17. Light coloured brown cheeses are more creamy, dark colored are sweeter and more intense. Brown cheese made from cows’ milk are milder and blander, from goats’ milk are goaty, more intense and have a hint of bitterness. All are tasty in their own way.

    If you go for the full experience, check out Prim (spreadable brown cheese) and Hapå (a caramel milk spread) too. We sure love caramelized milk here.

    ETA: I forgot Søst og Gomme, as other’s mentioned here; cultured milk cooked to porridge consistency and flavored with cinnamon or raisins. Very traditional and great for seasonal buffets with good bread or Norwegian waffles.

  18. Wow, you all are awesome, thanks for all the information! 🇧🇻❤️

  19. Gudbrands – the most common, and the most similar to the Ski Queen.

    Fløtemys – similar to Gudbrands, but lighter/milder in taste. Blue Fløtemye = lower fat.

    Johaug — between Gudbrands and Fløte in terms of mildness and flavor

    Misvær – never tasted, supposed to be milder and lighter than Gudbrands.

    Innherred – darker, a bit drier and more flavor.

    Bestemor – never tried. Supposedly quite like Innherred except sweeter.

    Geitost – proper brown goat cheese. Way less sweet, much drier, and can be somewhat strong in flavor.

  20. G40/Orange, G60/Red and G80/Blue are the staple. I’d take one of each atleast.

  22. We brought home half a kilo each of Tine Bestemorost, Geitost, and Julbrunost. Geitost is made mainly from goat milk, and has a tangier taste. Bestemorost is dark and sweeter. Julbrunost is flavored with cardamom. As noted above, the most popular variety is Gudbrandsdalsost, or G35. It’s exported as Ski Queen and may be found in your supermarket’s gourmet cheese section packaged in distinctive red 250 gram cubes. For more information about regional varieties of brunost, see https://www.tine.no/merkevarer/tine-brunost .

    Synnøve make a Julbrunost flavored with cinnamon. And there’s a HeidalsOst that’s pressed in an ornate mold that would make a fine centerpiece for your julebord.

    Gud jul!

  24. Buy the “julebrunost” it is a seasonal banger!!

  25. I made an unofficial [Brown cheese guide.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Norway/s/k7cUGBMoiT)

    There’s a bunch of different information there. But to summarize it:

    There are 3 types of brown cheese, cow, goat, and a mix between the two milks. The brown cheese made from cow will usually be milder, while the goat cheese has a stronger and sharper taste. The cheese that contain both is obviously a mix.

    I believe the cheese (at least the ones from tine) should show on the packaging if they’re made from goat milk, cow milk, or both. The cheeses that are darker have been boiled for longer making them sweeter.

    I believe the classic ski queen cheese is a mix between cow and goat milk. To my knowledge the most similar product would be the gudbrandsdalsost. The blue goat cheese made purely from goat milk and will have a stronger taste.

    My favourites are fløtemysost and innherred, they’re are all great though.

  28. My personal favourite is Innherredsost, sweet but dark.

  30. Depending on where you are in the U.S., you might be able to find other types of brown cheese. I’m in San Francisco and I’ve found the blue Ski Queen goat brown cheese at a Whole Foods and two other higher-end grocery stores. (I prefer it to the more common red variant, a bit sharper and tangier.) We also have a cheese shop that has a couple of other Time variants imported from Norway.

  31. I recently had the joy of trying the Innhered variant. It tastes a bit like dravle, if you are familiar with that. I found it to be sweet and caramelized. It looks very dark, but it’s just made of cow’s milk, so it’s not as sharp as your regular Gudbrandsdalsost. I reccommend if you want to try something new 🙂

  32. If you are in Bergen, there are some cheesemongers down at Fisketorget near Bryggen. Last time we were there we bought a small portion of local Brunost/ geitost that was super strong, but so delicious. Pricey, but worth it for a treat.

  33. Blue geitost(the strongest one)is best for savory dishes, such as when used in sauxes or stews. I think fløtemysost(the sweetest one) is best as a waffle topping.

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